Emil Johansson talking about LotrProject at TEDxGöteborg in October 2012.

So what is it?

Lord of the Rings Project, commonly shortened LotrProject, is a creative web project dedicated to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. It is perhaps most known for the extensive and ever updating genealogy, the historical timeline of Middle-Earth and the statistics of the population of Middle-Earth.

LotrProject was published in January 2012 by Emil Johansson with the genealogy as the only feature. To much surprise it gained a lot of attention which spurred the development of the site. Since then the project has expanded to become a creative outlet for Emil and now features several interactive Tolkien related projects. As an example, Emil saw it as a perfect opportunity to learn how to create an Android App.

The development of LotrProject consists of two equally important parts; perfection and innovation. A lot of the information on LotrProject need proper references and additional fact checking. This is an ever ongoing process of ensuring the quality of the site. Innovation naturally means coming up with more creative ideas to expand the project.

Non-profit

LotrProject is not driven with the purpose of making money and Emil has decided against placing advertisements on the website. However, hosting the website costs money and updating it requires a lot of time. If you want to support the project you will find a donate button below.

If you enjoy the work and want to support the project you can also download an Android App for $1.5. There is currently no iOS app available due to the cost of buying a Mac computer to develop it on.

Emil Johansson is a Chemical Engineering student currently living in Gothenburg, Sweden. He is passionate about many things including photography, the web, chemistry and of course the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Emil first read the Lord of the Rings in 2000 just before the movies were released. This allowed him to create his own vision of Middle-Earth. Wanting to know more about this magical world he decided to read the Silmarillion. In order to keep track of the many characters he started doodling on a piece of paper. This is how the idea of an interactive Middle-Earth genealogy was born.

In October 2012 Emil spoke about LotrProject at TEDxGöteborg trying to convince the audience of the importance of personal (and geeky) projects.

Acknowledgements

LotrProject has received suggestions and corrections from a lot of people, mostly through emails. However, there are two people who deserve a special mention for their help.

Daniel Helen is also a prominent contributor to the site. He is a history student, Tolkien Society member and an editor and project supervisor at Tolkien Gateway. He helped extensively with the completion of the Hobbit tribute page.

Shaun and Daniel are currently both collaborators and advisers on the development of the project.